Vectors and Scalars

Practice Problems
Vectors and Scalars (Honors)

Directions: On this worksheet you will practice with the basic definitions of vector and scalar quantities used in introductory motion.

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Question 1 A bike messenger traveled 3 blocks North, 5 blocks East, 7 blocks South, and finally 11 blocks West in order to deliver a package in the traffic, congested city. If his trip took 40 minutes, what was the magnitude of his average velocity in blocks/minute?

6.5 x 10^-12.5 x 10^-17.21 x 10⁰1.8 x 10^-12.6 x 10¹

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Question 2 If the messenger in Question #1 could have traveled directly to his destination, what would have been the direction of his net displacement?

123.7 deg209.0 deg213.7 deg151.0 deg146.3 deg

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Question 3 The magnitude of an object's average velocity can ONLY equal the magnitude of its average speed when the object is

traveling in a
straight linetraveling in successive
directions that change by 90ºtraveling in a circlestanding still

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Question 4 A scalar is a quantity that can be completely described by stating its

directionsizesize and direction

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Question 5 A family taking a vacation traveled 5 hours at 65 mph and then 3 hours at only 48 mph. What was their average speed during this trip?

54.4 mph56.5 mph58.6 mph50.9 mph

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Question 6 Which quantity is NOT a scalar?

distancemassaccelerationtime

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Question 7 Which description of an object's motion is more specific: moving at a constant speed or moving at a constant velocity?

constant speed since it demands that the object has to maintain a constant rate regardless of its direction of motionthey are equivalentconstant velocity since it demands that the object not only move at a constant rate, but also maintain a constant direction

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Question 8 A student warming up for practice travels one full circuit, 400 meters, around the track. Initially he jogs 80 meters at 1.5 m/sec, then runs 240 meters at 2.2 m/sec, and finally cools down by finishing the final 80 meters at 1.0 m/sec. What was his average speed?

1.65 m/sec1.57 m/sec1.82 m/sec2.35 m/sec

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Question 9 What was the student's average velocity in Question #8?

cannot be determined0 m/secthe same as his average speed

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Question 10 During a 30 minute period of time, one car moves at a constant velocity of 45 mph, N, while a second car moves at a constant velocity of 45 mph, W. During this time interval, the cars would have the same

A. instantaneous speed

B. instantaneous velocity

C. displacement

D. acceleration

A and CC and DB and DB and CA and D

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Question 11 Two 30.-newton forces act concurrently on an object. In which diagram would the forces produce a resultant with a magnitude of 30. newtons?

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Question 12 Which range of values correctly represents all possible values for the resultant in Question #11?

0 N ≤ R ≤ 60 N0 N ≤ R ≤ 42.4 N0 N ≤ R ≤ 30 Na complete listing is not possible

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Question 13 On the ticker tape shown below, the position of an object is recorded every 0.1 seconds. How would the positions on the tape have changed if the object was traveling at a constant velocity?

the dots would have been equally spacedthe spacing between the dots would have decreased

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Question 14 In which diagram does the plane have the smallest 'ground speed'?